Fender-bar for automobiles and the like.



W. MCKEE.

FENDER BAH FOR AUYOMOBILES AND THE LIKE.

APPLlcAmNV man fE. 13. 19|?.

1,321,655. E nuvni'vdNnv.11,1919.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIoE.

WILLIS MCKEE, 0F ELYRIA, OHIO, ASSIGNOR. TO lI-IE ELYRIA IRON do STEELCOMPANY,

OF CLEVELANQ, OHIO, A

conronATIoN or oHIo.

FENDER-BAP FOR AUTOMOBILES ANI) THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 11, 1919.

To all 'who/m, t may concern Be it known that il, WILLIS MCKEE, acitizen of the United States, residing at Elyria, in the county otxLorain and State of Ohio, have invented certain ne f and uselullmprovements in Fender-Bars Jfor Automobiles and the like; and ,I dohereby declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact descriptionor' the. invention, such as will enbetter understood from a descriptionof an embodiment thereof.

Figure l is a view in top plan of an embodiment of my invention'attachedto the front end ot' an automobile frame.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation ot a, portion of the Jframe of an automobileillustrating one manner in which a fender bar may be connected to anautomobile.

Fie. 3 is a sectional detail illustrating the manner of connecting thespring member to the bumper bar. j

Referring now to the drawings and to the embodiment of my inventionillustrated therein, at 4 is shown the bumper bar, which is preferablymade ot a piece of channel iron, of some suitable cross-section. onetorni of which is illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawing. Compared to thesprings to be described, the bumper bar is relatively rigid, but shouldbe made sntliciently resilient to permit a certain degree ot bendingwhen comparatively severe blows are struck upon it. Iprefer t0 make thebar ot relatively highv carbon steel. as one manner olE realizing thisresult. The central portion of the bar should be made straight. so as toextend, when in use, perpendicular to the long` axis and the generaldirection ot the trame members of thevehicle upon which it is em ployed.In the embodiment shown, this straight central portion of the barconstitutes the major part ot' the bar and extends across in front ofthe trame members (i and 7 ot the automobile.

The ends 8 and 8 of the bar may be turned slightly backward and curvedto a. suitable degree. .l prefer to cut ol the back corners of thechannel sides as illustrated at 9 and 0. The spring members are shown at10 and l0 and are made from flat strip resilient material, such assteel. These spring members are intended to yieldingly resist blows otmoderate torce when such are received by the 'fender bar, no matterwhether upon one side or in the center,- the work done in bending thesprings absorbing the torce et said blows and protecting not only themachine to which the fender is connected, but, in the case oit mostblows, preserving itself so that it will return to normal when thepressure is released, or, ii the blow has been so severe as ltopermanently bend the springs, they may be readily restored to normalwithout material ditliculty or expense. i

The springs are of U shape, as far as the main body part is concerned,but one prong of the U-shaped spring extends beyond the other at adiverging angle to 'form link portions 1S, 18. The extension then bendsbackward to form a reverse loop portion, the endet the extension beingfastened to the end of the fender bar, as shown.

The force applied to the bar must both bend back the reversed loopportion of the stiff spring and compress the loop portion adjacent thevehicle frame before the bar falls back upon the frame. I prefer to soconstruct the parts that the reversed loop portionis lirst bent, sinceits resistance will be suflicient to overcome the force of many blows towhich the device is subjected, and it will oft its 4own accord, returnto normal when the pressure is removed. When harder blows are delivered,the loop adjacent the trame will be eoi'npressed, but may` if it doesnot return to normal itself, readily and quickly be extended, by the cardriver orl other person, to the position illustrated. I

thus produce what might be called a self-4 fender, at the same timeproducelticient, sightly and ycheaply il t) attaching portions), nachlavingg tho it i'al'u'ro olf tho @nd portioiia oll the bar to which itir; oonnrrtvd ln' i-suitlablo moans, suoli nu bolts l2, t2 oxtmulinp;{1hr/ugh port'ora tions l-lin tho handle and lil in tho bar. It nill bvundrrstood that any suitablo com nofftingg nuans may bo nf-srd towohnort tho SMg'ningzi-i to the bumprr har, though l prot'm" to umholla. tho round tiradaV tbnrvol' maltring' a plvnsinn' appr-aratu'n ontho 'front of tilir barv Tho flut; Smooth undvr surfzu'o of tho hand[its lost-ly ayainnt, tilnv bottom lf3 ol thirhannrlod bar and ma;7 bedrawn tightly lhorragainat, bj.' tho bolts. `Winni thm; ronnootrd, thohandiA and liars vnn'ago throughout ronsidt-rahlr arai. tlistributiup,lb@A proniuro transmiltvd l'roin tho bar to thvl Spring. prowntingfloralization ol Such prieresuro and avoiding' distortion oll tho springstiltoro.

Thr rmitral portiona 1T and li" ol" tho fioritura rxtond substantiallyparallol to the. ifontral party ot' tho bar and toward nach otihor. Thi,Springs1 arr provided with links lf-l and irl connecting tubo handfl 1land l1 with thi-` orntlral I'iortionsi l? and 1T thoroof, The lint-iis18 and X8 oxtond in a dirootion at, an anglo lo both they contraiportion ol" tho bar and of t-hn springs', protorally at an anglo ofabout l5", and artx curvod roversrly at, tho pointu o't' (fi'innootionlll, lll and 2t), Lft with the 'handsand tho central portions,riaffiprotifolly4 Thr Hprn'igz: aro providod with atl'afzhing ondportiona 2l, 2l', corresponding in tho mnlfnli.menty :shown to tho upperprongs; oi ,loller S, prl'oralaly vending substanf tu parallol tothe,central portion of the har and the contral portion of tho springs l? and1,7', hut in tho roi/orso direction, the Springs having heen doubledhack upon thornselvosi, The. Central portions of the springs l? and 17and the. ond aldaohing` 'portions or prongs 21 and 21 aro conneoted bylot'lps 22 and 2lb, which in tho ombodinient. shown are U-Shaped andintngatl with tito other parts of the synings. ln fact), l. i; oler tomalto all otE tho port/ion` of the uprings which l haw dosorihoi'lintegral, ein that. ruoli Hpri A from hand to attaching portioi'l is; anintr =l strip motal ii'ion'tbo'r. fluit/alito moolianism in providod foroorrnnob ingr tho rnd attanhin-,1,r portions ot' the spring llo l he,traino ol iluvehii'rlo, prefer ably to the lo fraunhinombrrs ti andv 7.Yl,i contemplate 'l-or auch pui-poso the uso ol" any Sl'iitiabloinieolniniani, l n tho ombodirnontn Shown Sido nio'iulverS lll and Fill"aro mind oonnontfed to the tramo monding-1. tl :unl "l" ler loops: -lland i251 nml to llue i Wing atitnoliingl und Ql, ill lily' anyfniitulilu n'uuu'in. ninth as lloltsa llt, bo to malin ihr liar and allpon lione; ol' tho aprin in tbn` ammo horizontal plonn, as illunttratzrdin tfno draififin that forco o the lilou/ri only lirongrjht lha springswithout twisting strain upon the santo or any parl thurrol",

lt, will rradily be einen tlmt all t'lu` parts of thi,I liondvr may borhoaply and easily constiructml by tho uso ot' standard machinery inStandard oywrations and assembled with little, or no dillirulty.oonipaot, nightly, simplr and romparativvly light in naught. lf tlir`ront'ral portion of tho fvndrr bar is strurk. nach ol tho springs willrosistingly yivld to tlyj blow until they have bei-.n comprvssf-d. whont-lw central )ortiion ot thil bar `will virld further, the wholestrurturo falling back upon ihr frame of thoy automobili` whirl. in thucasal of many r wir blown. will bu ahlo to absorb, without. injury, thoturco of tho blow remaining after thi` injurious partl thereof has lx nal sox-bod by tho prings and bar of the trndrr.

In raso thi blow rotura at ono ond of tho frndor liar. tzl spring on thesido to which tho blow is dolirorod will :lot in much tho name.inan'l'ioris il' tho blow had been dolivorod at tho oontrr, rosi tingthvl forno of tho blow, and tho 'ysl'ning on the other vnd will beoxtondod, likewise resisting the torco of the, blow. 1f It the torce ofthe blow has; not] lieon rntiroly overcome in doing tho work ot' thuscoinl'n'ossing and eritendingr the srn'ings, tlw bar will yiold brforotho rw maining'r forro ot tho blow relu-hrs tho framr. In any naso, the1apparatus ronstitiut'iing tlwv fonflvr bar rrtirva upon til o tramo inslu'h a mannvr that. tho blow will not dfstroy thov apparatus, thoarrangrmnont, of tho parts and the0ur\i'at1urm of tho springt bring;rauch that tho npringgs cannotl be destroyed or matorrallj; injured byany blows which aro ordinarily roonivod by automobiles, against, whichfondo!! bars furnish any I'n'otootion.

'.llho fender iS- l have, also [noducod a compact ttl-vivo whirl) doosnotl extend unduly' from the vv hielo upon which it is used This last;namrd result; is largely ont ributod to by the system l havo employed intho ombmlixnent illustratori. ot' intending tho ends of tho bar and`springe; parallvl to nach other wluno they aro oonnoctt'd togithel:

l havo shown this oriliofliinont, ol' my involition and tho detailsthv-root' for tho purpour, ol'v llt-ttor doorribing tho invention. lt;will rradily bo undorstmul by thotso sltillod in tho art that manydepartures 'may bo made from hot'l'i tho form and tluI drtails withoutdotant/ing from tho, spirit, ot' the invention, tho noopr ot' which is;Woll illustrated in tho appoiu'lod olainmu 1l. vln a, lm'idor torauti'lmolnlosI or the like, tho rouil'iiuatvion ol a rlnuuiol bar and aSpring! sbapml liiwy tho lvttrr U, with ono t' rong divorgingoutwardln'7 and thon hnnding; lmrliwztrdly to l'oriu a ro'vvrfen loopwith tho trot ond parallnl to a portion oi tho chair nifl har, meant; toattafh. :auch inning end to the fender bar and mechanism t0 connect theother end of the spring to'a portion ot' a vehicle. y l

2. In a fender for automobiles or the like, the combination of a channeltender bar, a pair ot' springs separate from said bar, each having a barend attaching portion connected Hat againstvone end oi said bar, acentral portion substantiallyl parallel to the cent-ral portion of thebar, a reversely curved link connecting the bar end attaching portionand the central 4portion and means out of alinement with said barattaching portions to connect the, springs to a vehicle frame.

3. In a tender for automobiles and the like, the combination oi a sti'tender bar, a pair ot' U-shaped springs each with an extension on oneprong diverging outwardly and then baekwardly in a reverse direction toform ends to tit the end of said fender bar,

the surface of such portion ot' the spring and bar being in engagementand attached t0- gether and mechanism to connect the other I prong ot'the spring to the vehicle.

et. In' a fender for automobiles and the like, the eombinationof afender bar, a pair of U-shaped springs each with an extension on one.prong diverging outwardly and then bending inwardly in a reversedirection to extend along the inner surface of the bar and attachedthereto, all parts of said springs and said bar being in the sainehorizontal plane when the device is in use and mechanism to connect theother prongs of said springs to a vehicle.

the inside of the back thereof, the ends 0f the bar and said hands beingeach perfo,. rated, means t'or connecting said hands to said bar endsextending through said perforations, central spring portions extendingtoward each other substantially parallel to the ycentral portion ot' thebar, links connecting the spring hands and the spring central p ortionsextending at substantially 450 to the central part ot the fender barintegral with said spring hands and spring attaching portions and curved"at the junction points therewith, spring end attaching portionsextending substant-ially parallel to the centrah l portion ot the fenderhar and to the central i spring portions, substantially uniformly"curved-links integral with the spring attaching portions and the springcentralportions, 5

said end attaching portions extending from said links toward oppositeends of the fender bar and inechanisni for attaching the spring endattaching portions to the vehicle.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name this 6th day ofFebruary, 1917. A WILLIS MCKEE.

